Jun 24, 2020 - Politics & Policy

24-year-old Republican wins North Carolina primary against Trump pick

President Trump. Photo: Brenden Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Real estate investment executive Madison Cawthorn, 24, overtook Lynda Bennett in North Carolina's 11th congressional district's Republican primaries on Tuesday, AP reports.

Why it matters: President Trump vigorously backed Bennett, including on Twitter. Bennett also had the endorsement of White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who vacated the seat earlier this year.

Per AP, Cawthorn called for a runoff against Bennett after finishing second in a 12-candidate primary. Bennett failed to get more than 30% of the vote needed to win without contest.
The original runoff was postponed from May to June due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Axios

Jun 24, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Tuesday night's primary tides show cracks in the system

Voting in Kentucky. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

There are plenty of votes left to be counted, but a few trend lines from Tuesday's primary elections are worthy of your time:

The AOC-backed Justice Democrats showed considerable strength.
President Trump's endorsement wasn't worth its weight in gold.
The absentee balloting process will require a reset in expectations.
America needs young people to step up as polling workers.

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Axios

6 mins ago - Health

Texas governor mandates face masks in public spaces

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order Thursday requiring all Texans to wear a face covering in public in counties with 20 or more positive coronavirus cases.

Why it matters: It's a stark reversal for the Republican governor that underscores the seriousness of the outbreak in Texas, which set a single-day record on Wednesday with more than 8,000 confirmed new cases. On June 3, Abbott issued an executive order banning local governments from imposing fines on people who don't wear masks in public.

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Orion Rummler

22 mins ago - Health

Top business leaders urge White House to develop mandatory mask guidelines

A man walks past a Ramen restaurant in Los Angeles, California on July 1. Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The heads of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, National Retail Federation and other top business organizations wrote an open letter on Thursday urging the White House coronavirus task force to work with governors to make face coverings mandatory in all public spaces.

Driving the news: An analysis led by Goldman Sachs' chief economist found that a national mandate requiring face coverings would "could potentially substitute for lockdowns that would otherwise subtract nearly 5% from GDP," the Washington Post reports.